Guard Dog - Origins
The scene began in a dark alley with a figure standing atop a roof, looking down at the street below - female in appearance but dressed in black leather, much of which looked like it had been stitched together by hand, her face covered by an old-style gas mask, save for her flowing hair and angry eyes: behind her was a tattered cape that blew in the night air, shorter than most but still serving its purpose. Completing the look was a pair of leather boots and gloves that exposed sharp metallic-looking claws, she was obvious strong - with more muscles than most women, yet not to the point it detracted from what many would consider an attractive form, albeit hidden under that frightening exterior. The figure watched as three men entered the alley, two of the men grabbed the other and knocked him to the ground, lifting him by the back of the neck and drawing a gun to the back of his head. "You should of kept your mouth shut, Frank.." one of the men spat, tugging on his collar and forcing the gun deeper into the back of his head, the man trembling as he tried to resist, only to be punched in the gut by the other man. "You're going to die, Frank - you know that, don't you? first.. I'm going to make you suffer.." the gunman proclaimed, pistol-whipping the back of the man's head as he fell to the ground - blood beginning to fall as the other man chuckled slightly, kicking him in the ribs as the gunman simply watched. Then without warning the cloaked figure jumped down into the alley, taking the men by surprise - the gunman attempting to pull his gun on her only to yell out in fear and pain as she slashed with inhuman speed with her claws and the gun fell to the ground, the gunman clinging to his bloody hand as several of his fingers also fell to the ground below. "Shit-!" the other man called out, swinging a punch at the assailant only to cough up blood as she delivered a kick with such strength it snapped his ribs - sending him crashing into a nearby dumpster. "W-who are you?" the gunman cried out, the figure turning and walking after him as he stumbled back, trying to escape the alley. "The woman who's going to put you down.." the figure replied, then clenched her fist and with a burst of speed delivered a powerful punch that not only knocked the gunman out cold but broke several teeth in the process. The figure proceeded to turn and walked back to the other attacker, who was clutching his ribs in pain: "what the fuck!? we didn't do nothing to you!" he began. "You have no idea how wrong you are.." the figure replied, continuing forward as the man let out a cry of fear.. Guard Dog - Origins The scene switches to a sunny afternoon in a city park as a young woman dressed in a business-suit talks on a wireless device, her seven-year old son and five-year old daughter running ahead, under her observation. "..I know your worried Jason but you need to understand, this is my job - superhumans have very few places to turn these days and if we don't provide them with the proper help they will have no choice but to go to crime and then the anti-superhuman crowd win.." <<''..I know Kathy, it's just.. you're getting yourself in very deep here.. you've angered a lot of people.. I don't want to see you get hurt.. think about your family..>> "..I am thinking about my family.. I'm a mutant, Jason.. I choose not to hide from the world - I want my children to grow up proud of what they are.. trust me, I know what I'm doing.." <<..I hope you do, Kathy.. I really do.. for their sake..>> Kathy frowned slightly as the call ended abruptly, looking over at her children and thinking on Jason's words for a moment before shaking her head silently and brushing it aside. "Liam, Jessie.. come on.. we should head home.." "Oh mom! You said we could have ice-cream!" Liam protested. "with sprinkles!" Jessie added. "..I did, didn't I? Alright.. we'll stop at the ice-cream place.." Kathy smiled. "Yay!" Jessie giggled, bouncing up and down as Liam made a fist-pump motion. "Yes! You're the best, mom!" Liam smiled. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The afternoon sun continued to shine brightly as Kathy and her children arrived at their destination and Jessie was so excited Kathy had to gently hold her back, reminding her to wait in line like a good girl - Liam on the other hand was already listing all the flavors he planned on getting despite Kathy telling him he was only getting one. After waiting in line for a few minutes Kathy and her children finally reached the counter and began their order, only for things to suddenly change - the shop doors flying open and screams of panic alerting Kathy to something horribly wrong.. Then in an instant her world began to crash down around her as a gunshot rung across the shop, the smiling owner's expression changing to surprise as he fell dead - a bullet having penetrated his skull. Jessie screamed out and Kathy picked her up as she pulled Liam in, hugging her children as people began fleeing for their lives as several figures entered the shop - armed with handguns: "There she is! There's the bitch!" one of them called out and Kathy felt the pain of several gunshots as the men opened fire, yet she desperately tried to shield her children - tears in her eyes as she collapsed to the ground: barely alive and bleeding heavily. Jessie continued to scream, Liam going as pale as a ghost as they scrambled over to Kathy and kept nudging her: "Mommy! Mommy!" Jessie cried. "Mom! You gotta get up! mom!" Liam wept, then Kathy's eyes grew wide with horror as Liam's young eyes mirrored those of the shop owner, a look of surprise and terror in his face as gunfire rung out - the boy falling to the ground as his life was snuffed out before Kathy's rapidly fading vision. "What the fuck-!?" one of the gunmen began, going to take the gun off the man who had shot Liam - only to be held back by the others. "Calm down, damnit - they are mutants, remember?" "You never said we'd be killing the kids! we were only going after the woman.." the man protested. "A mutant's a mutant, we got our orders.." "This is sick man! I ain't doing this! I-!" the man protested again, only to be silenced as he was shot by the same man that had killed Liam. "Fuck-!" one of the other men called out. "Shut up! Let's finish this!" the gunman yelled angrily, pulling his gun at Jessie - the little girl crying out for her mommy. "..J-Jessie.. d-don't be scared.. m-mommy's here.." Kathy whispered, then closed her eyes as tears rolled down her face - another gunshot ringing across the room. "Let's get the fuck out of here!" the gunman shouted, the gang leaving the shop - Kathy not even daring to open her eyes as she felt herself slip out of consciousness.. ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ Two days later Kathy awoke to find herself in a hospital bed with several armed guards - as well as a familiar figure in the form of a rather disheaveled looking business man sitting by the side of her bed. "Kathy? thank god.. I thought you were dead..". "..I am dead.." Kathy replied, staring at the ceiling. "Kathy?" the man said. "..my babies.. they killed my babies.." Kathy said, feeling the tears run down her cheeks again - yet she simply remained staring at the ceiling. "..I'm sorry Kathy.. I swear.. we're doing all we can.. no one could of imagined this.. we all knew you were attracting the attention of anti-mutant extremists but this attack was beyond anything we could of prepared for.. you can't blame yourself.." the man began. "..they wanted me.. yet they killed my children.." Kathy interrupted. "..Kathy, we'll find whoever did this.. they must be connected to people you know.. we're following every lead.. we'll take these bastards down.. I ..I can't imagine how this feels, Kathy.. you were my best-friend.. Liam and Jessie were good kids.. they used to call me "uncle" Jason.. Liam said he wanted to be like me.. after their father left I.. I tried to be there.. yet I wasn't their father.. as much as I wanted.. I could never be.. I'm so sorry.." the man said, slowly getting up and moving towards the exit, to give Kathy her space. "You're wrong.." Kathy said. "Kathy?" the man said, turning to face her. "..you were the closest thing they ever had to a father.. and I thank you Jason.. for everything.." Kathy replied. "..you'll survive Kathy.. I know you will.. you got to keep fighting - now more than ever.." the man said, turning and leaving. Kathy continued to stare at the ceiling as Jason's words rung in her mind: ''"..you'll survive Kathy.. I know you will.. you got to keep fighting - now more than ever.." '' ++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++++ The scene shifts to the roof over the alley as the caped figure dusts off her claws and sits, looking over the streets once more - ignoring the sirens of nearby police as they entered the alley and found two beaten thugs and a babbling Frank.. "What the hell happened here? who did this?" one of the cops called out. "..s-she called herself Guard Dog.. s-she was some kind of monster.. I-I swear..!" Frank replied. Meanwhile the figure continued to observe from above: ''"Kathy? thank god.. I thought you were dead..". "..I am dead.." "..my babies.. they killed my babies.." ''"..you'll survive Kathy.. I know you will.. you got to keep fighting - now more than ever.." '' The figure stood up and shook her head, clearing the voices as she slipped into the night.. Kathy was dead.. a mother no longer.. a lone soldier in a war no one saw coming.. she was a monster.. she was Guard Dog. Category:Short Stories Category:Grimdark Category:Superhuman Category:Little-Red Category:Finished Stories Category:Tragedy Category:Mature